Bill > A08330

This bill modifies New York's environmental conservation law to expand crossbow hunting regulations and permissions. Specifically, the bill redefines "long bow" to include crossbows, adjusts technical specifications for crossbow hunting, and removes several previous restrictions on crossbow use. The bill eliminates previous requirements about bolt length, limb width, and overall crossbow length, while maintaining a minimum peak draw weight of 100 pounds. It allows the Department of Environmental Conservation to authorize crossbow use in any area where long bows are permitted for big game hunting, effectively broadening hunting opportunities. Additionally, the bill introduces safety restrictions in certain counties (Westchester, Nassau, and Suffolk), prohibiting crossbow discharge within 500 feet of dwellings, schools, public structures, and other occupied buildings, with an option for other counties to adopt similar local regulations. The changes aim to provide hunters with more flexibility in weapon choice while maintaining safety considerations, and the bill takes effect immediately upon passage.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A8330